To ask the Minister for Employment and Learning what communication his Department has had with universities on the current freeze on student fees, in light of departmental budgetary pressures.

Executive policy is to keep tuition fees at their current levels rising only in line with inflation for Northern Ireland domiciled full time undergraduate students studying in Northern Ireland. I have met with the Vice Chancellors of Queen’s University Belfast and the Ulster University to discuss the implications of the significant budgetary pressures being faced by my Department and the resultant impact that this will have on their institutions.